Pancit Sotanghon

Thanks to Marilu my mother-in-law for this recipe. It's always delicious when you make it, with very fond memories eating it those Sunday nights in Princeton having decided to delay our return to NYC until morning!

2 garlic cloves

2 tblsp olive oil

1 small onion, minced

1 tsp paprika

6 ounces shrimp

1 carrot, chopped

1/4 cup snow peas, sliced

120 gr dried sotanghon (vermicelli or mungbean) noodles

1/8 cup soy sauce

2 tblsp fish sauce

juice of a lemon

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 green onion, sliced

chopped chives

1 pound chicken

1/2 cup tengang daga (mushrooms), soaked in water

1. place the chicken in a pot and cover with water by about two inches; bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer
2. cook the chicken, skimming off any foam that occurs; cook until tender, about 30 minutes
3. soak the pancit noodles in warm water about ten minutes until soft; cut into four inch pieces
4. when the chicken is done, remove from the pot and let cool; strain the broth and set aside; remove chicken skin and cut meat into thin strips
5. in a wok, heat the oil; saute the garlic and onion until soft, add the shrimp and cook until pink; add the chicken and stir fry for 30 seconds
6. add the paprika and 2/3 of the reserved chicken broth
7. add mushrooms, bring to a boil over high heat, stir in the carrots and snow peas, cook until the vegetables are crisp tender, about two minutes
8. add the noodles, season with soy sauce and fish sauce
9. simmer until the noodles are heated through, about one minute
10. add S&P, if desired, and garnish with green onion and chives before serving

12-Hour Kurobuta Pork Belly

This is a recipe that I've been pulling teeth to get for literally four years. It's from Kai, a modern Japanese restaurant in Greenbelt. They're very secretive about their recipes, so much so that they didn't provide exact proportions for below ingredients. Had to guess. Chef is ex-Nobu in NYC.

baby pork belly (preferably Kurobuta)

5 parts water

2 parts kikkoman soy sauce (low salt)

1 part mirin

1 part sake

2-3 tblsp sugar

dry Japanese mustard

1. place pork belly and remaining ingredients except mustard powder in a pot; bring to boil, then simmer for 12 hours
2. add combo remaining liquids if necessary
3. once finished cooking, remove pork, reduce remaining sauce further
4. mix dry mustard with water
5. serve pork drizzled with reduce sauce, mustard and japanese rice

Tamarind Slush

Another Manila recipe acquisition.

1 kg fresh tamarind

sugar, to taste

ice

1. boil tamarind for a few minutes
2. put contents of pot through a sieve and crush, pushing through all the flavor
3. add sugar to tamarind while still hot and stir
4. our over crushed ice

Tofu Mint Shake

Another refreshing summer drink, from Kai in Greenbelt. Because it is healthy, tastes even more delicious (although some might say the opposite).

fresh tofu, or the kind in a tetra pak

sugar syrup

good quality mint syrup

handful of ice

sprig of mint

1. put all ingredients in a blender, adjusting quantities to taste
2. pour in a tall glass, garnish with a sprig of mint

Manila Observations

Pushing the culinary envelope with what little time I have here.

• Kai: chef is ex-Nobu who opened this restaurant a few years ago. Buta Kakuni or braised pork belly has been my long-held favorite. The tofu & mint shake also delicious. I managed to pull a recipe for both. In the case of the former it's been like pulling teeth over the last few years, but finally perservered this time around.
• Apt 1B: a foodie haunt in the middle of Makati, specializing in easy comfort food with heavy American influences. Had the best buffalo wings ever, and my caesar salad (with the interesting added ingredient of sun-dried tomatoes) and crab cakes were good too. Shoe-string potatoes is something to try at home. Beef Salpicao is supposed to be one of the chef's specials, something I need to make soon.
• Lorenzo's Way: part of the same group as Abe; had fried cuttlefish for which they use the more tender belly, dipped in a nice little sweet chili chinesey sauce; this was followed by sugpo sa aligue, or sauteed prawns with a creamy red sauce using crab fat; this was accompanied by adobong puso ng saging at gambas, or banana meat (Marilu maybe you can help me with the translation) prepared in the same way you would any adobo.
• Sentro: the corn beef sinangang enticed me to enter, complemented by sauteed catfish in ponzu; love the tamarind slush, for which I got a recipe.

Salty Lime Juice

Perfect for 98 degree weather. Key is to use bubbly soda water as opposed to carbonated mineral water.

juice of three limes
1-2 tblsp of sugar
Schweppes soda water
pinch or two of salt
crushed ice

1. mix juice of limes, sugar & salt
2. add ice, top off with soda water, mix again

Notable Meals

With the exception of what comes out of Sharon's kitchen, this is some of the best filipino food I've had, at Abe in the Fort. Abe is the nickname of Emilio Agilar Cruz, beloved son of Pampanga, "writer, editor, painter, connoisseur, bon vivant and legendary eater outer", according to the introduction on the menu. All went down very nicely with some ice cold San Mig Negra.

• sinuteng baby squid: little squids the size of cuttlefish sauteed in their ink and EVOO
• bicol express: a bicolano dish with mixed veggies including bitter cucumber and spicy coconut cream
• crispy pork adobo ni Lola Ising: pork belly slices cooked in the traditional adobo way but then deep fried with garlic cloves (as served on the Cafe Adriatico Premiere)